A post shared by Rob Helmstetter (@43shifty) on May 22, 2018 at 9:02pm PDT

Another Tuesday night session. When I got there only a few people were at the park and Rob and Neil were using a t-shrit to wipe up some puddles. Apparently it had rained in Broomfield. The park wasn’t bad though. As always it took me the longest to crack my tail. Neil was high energy hitting everything. Noseslides, 50s, ollies, wallies, boardslides real quick together. Rob was building on the lines he does there with some stuff I haven’t seen before like back 50 down the escalator ledge, front 50s. Then it rained for a bit. I tried to stay loose by doing flatground under the pavilion, but I felt like I was just annoying everyone. A bunch of people started to show. The session was real heated for awhile and I felt like every time I would get going I would stop and talk for awhile. But seriously, here’s the list of people that were skating (and I’m sure I’m forgetting someone). Carleigh, Rob, Neil, Jake, Ed, Matt, Donnie, Will, Chris, Eric, eventually Fuzz. Not to mention there was of course other people that showed up to skate. So, some highlights from what I remember. Jake noseblunts the parking block. Rob back lips the parking block, boardslides to feeble on it too after paying with some good slams. Carleigh lipslide the parking block and back d the brick qp. Donnie switch hurricanes the brick qp, switch front 5-0 up the steep bank. Chris front board brown ledge, back 180 nosegrind the black ledge. Ed 43 shifty, front lip the parking block. I didn’t see Matt actually land a treflip, but he said he did it first try. He also did back 50s and back 5-0s very easily on the black ledge. Jake and I played a game of SKATE where I nearly focused my board after starting with two letters on fakie flip. He almost pink slipped me, but I managed to finally get him with heelflip and fakie bigflip, also landed a defensive 3 shove and a fakie 3 shove! I forget what he won on. Will was doing long front and back 5-0s, I saw a casual nollie heel. Near the end Eric did like 20 heelflips, he had a nice back 50 on the blue ledge. Then him and Fuzz ended by trying fakie heelflips. Fuzz had a good slam on one, but came back a few tries later and landed a good one right before the lights shut off. So many rad people skating. I tend to lock up in crowded situations so it’s kind of a battle for me just to skate, but I still love seeing everyone and it was a fun time for sure. Pretty sure I will be switching to a smaller setup after tonights performance.

(setup 8.38 null atomic cowboy deck, venture 5.8 black icon trucks, 51mm bones stf v1, 3 washers on the outside of each axle, bones medium bushings, es accel slim all black size 11.5, footprints gamechanger lite insoles)

After work I went to Dog Park to meet Rob and Neil. I got there first, did some dynamic stretching things then started the warm up process. I had done a couple things then randomly started trying cabs. I may have gotten a couple that could pass as defense in an over 80 game of SKATE. Rob and Neil showed. It was really warm and nice out. There were some warm up lines that everyone tried, but I think only Rob did. The cone started sideways. I had some fun kickflips over the little part of it. Rob was getting his lines going. Neil was breaking protocol and going off the course. Ha. Man it ruled seeing Neil out there. Him and Rob were doing lots of lines with 180s over the cones then a flip trick. I was trying to put the flip trick before the cone, but rarely landing them. The cone was put upright. Rob and Neil went over it first try no problem. I had to hype myself up to try it so I did that with a heelflip and got over the cone first try. That’s a first for me. Felt cool. Rob would go on to 180 it both ways and bean plant over it. Neil halfcabbed it I think. I couldn’t get 360 flip or nollie 3 flip. Then I had to go.

(setup 8.38 null atomic cowboy deck, venture 5.8 black icon trucks, 51mm bones stf v1, 3 washers on the outside of each axle, bones medium bushings, es accel slim all black size 11.5, footprints gamechanger lite insoles)

After a busy day with India’s graduation I had a little over an hour to kill. Of course it started raining right then. I wanted to push fast and cruise something like campus. Instead I ended up in a dark little parking garage. I pushed like crazy at first though and it was really fun. When it came time to actually do tricks I was a bit hesitant. So out came selfie cam motivator and it did the trick. The b/s flip was first and I did it first try. It really hyped me up. Then the no comply flip and it was first try too. Whoa. Then the front crooks and I did one first try as well. But I did go back and clean it up a little. Front 50 was first try then 50th try. I had fun hucking the 360 flip noseslide. The first few felt doable, then it got less close with each try. For whatever reason I had obsessed over halfcab heels while sitting around all day. It took me like 20 minutes to “land” it. Man what a battle. All in all a fun day though and I’m glad I was able to skate a little.

(setup 8.38 null atomic cowboy deck, venture 5.8 black icon trucks, 51mm bones stf v1, 3 washers on the outside of each axle, bones medium bushings, es accel slim all black size 11.5, footprints gamechanger lite insoles)

Took a lunch break to skate flat at blue skies with Rob and Dave. I got there first. I did my newish dynamic stretches then started pushing around as Rob and Dave assembled. The warm up wasn’t easy for anyone. I got my first kickflip though, then 5 more in a row. Tried the Iron Man a few times, but didn’t get heelflips at that point. After awhile Rob put Dave’s putter in the middle of the rink upright to do tricks over which made things a little more fun. Dave did a switch ollie over it pretty quickly. It’s crazy how casually he can do that. Rob was starting to link long lines together with kickflips, bs flips, back 180s over the board, halfcab over the board, fakie bigpins and a 360 shove. At one point he had a really long run with like 8 tricks. So nuts. There was a period where things were working very well for me. Kickflips and heelflips felt so good. Got a couple kickflips over the board which felt awesome. Couldn’t get the treflip after for a line though. Was also doing a randon flip trick then front 180 over the board, fakie flip and trying fakie treflip. Got close, but never got both feet on the fakie tre. Dave worked for a nollie front 180 over the board. Dave and Rob tried for kickflips over it. Rob might have got one with a scratch violation. I hucked a few nollie back heels. That trick seems so possible. I also got a first try 360 shove.

Then we played a game of SKATE. It went pretty well for me even though Rob was the king of second try on double or nothing. Ha it was funny. I think it was fakie flip, heelflip and varial flip he got 2nd try. His luck ran out eventually though and after a couple double or nothings he went out. I had landed a few flippers in a row. Dave was close to all of them too. Fun flatground friday. It was tough going back to work. Can’t believe how good my shoes felt and the bigger board.

We ended on 360 shoves. It took me several tries to get one this time. Dave was close and added some switch flip attempts. Hyped on 360 shoves though.

(setup 8.38 null atomic cowboy deck, venture 5.8 black icon trucks, 51mm bones stf v1, 3 washers on the outside of each axle, bones medium bushings, es accel slim all black size 11.5, footprints gamechanger lite insoles)

Put on my bigger deck again and headed over to the school with some new shoes too. Es Accel Slim. Messed around with some back 50s and front 50s. Tried some slow front 50 kickflip out. Ollie was trying the hurricane really quick and I wanted to film it. He got close for awhile then the slam and that was basically it for him. I was trying flippers in between his attempts. Then Ollie left so I went to the street and skated flat for a bit. It didn’t go well. I struggled with halfcab flips which really made me mad. It didn’t help that huge gusts of wind would ruin things for awhile. Then it would be calm and I would try random stuff. I basically didn’t land anything noteworthy and it made me doubt my shoes and larger board.

(setup 8.38 null atomic cowboy deck, venture 5.8 black icon trucks, 51mm bones stf v1, 3 washers on the outside of each axle, bones medium bushings, es accel slim all black size 11.5, footprints gamechanger lite insoles)

Fun times last night. @slaherty @siouxer666 @garrettswheelers @43shifty @themindfulskater @lastfallensoul

A post shared by glen gillinghammer (@corpoglenny) on May 16, 2018 at 9:26am PDT

After some terrible traffic I arrived at Broomfield park and quite a few people were already there. Rob was holding it down for the Stubborns. Donnie, Garrett, Riley, Sean, some dude named Stefan that was friends with Riley I thought. There was a bunch of people there. Scooter kids, bikers, other skaters. It was hard to get in it. Donnie had turned up Motorhead rather loud on his speaker which was funny because everyone at the batting cages had to listen to it. It’s hard to say who was doing what for awhile because there was so much going on it was hard to see beyond what you were doing. I kept it kind of mellow knowing it would be less crazy in an hour or so. Spent a little time filming (the sunny clips). Rob’s back lips were so sick. Garrett’s nosegrind shove was a thing of beauty. Donnie was all over the place and obnoxious about it. I haven’t seen Riley in awhile so that was a treat. And Sean wow. Back lip front shove so good. I was kind of all over not really focusing on anything. Got a fakie nose jib, couldn’t back 50, then went for the ol’ Texas Plant which I finally did when the camera was on. Oh yeah, at one point the session was mellow and Rob did like a 20 trick line. It started with back 50 back 180 on the blue ledge, fakie nosegrind the escalator ledge. Then something on the black ledge, b/s flip on flat, front tail on the blue ledge, front shove and more tricks I”m not remembering. I was pretty tired and played a game of SKATE with Garrett and Stefan which was pretty fun. Got a heelflip, landed on 360 shove, got a letter on nollie tre, and lost on b/s flip. Garrett’s b/s flip was so perfect. Then I just filmed Donnie work himself to get the f/s flip. Fun session.

Okay, so a little setup OCD that was going on. I wanted a bigger board with a bigger wheelbase all night. I had also been obsessed over the fact that Indy’s have a smaller wheelbase and thought it might help with a large board. At one point I rode Garrett’s board and quickly confirmed how little I wanted to ride Indys. Granted he’s got the young kid hipster loose trucks, but man they felt beyond terrible to me. Ventures for life I guess. Or at least until I try something else next week.

(setup 8.25 null monico deck, venture 5.8 black icon trucks, 51mm bones stf v1, 3 washers on the outside of each axle, bones medium bushings, es swift 1.5 grey size 11.5, footprints gamechanger lite insoles)

Rain was threatening, but didn’t hit and the sun came out as Rob and I started at this fun looking curb. Dave joined shortly after. This curb looks fun right? Well, it was, but it wasn’t easy. The cracks in the brick are large, the foot traffic a bit much at times. But we skated and struggled on it for quite awhile. In the end everyone came away with something good, but there was quite a bit of struggling. Rob was on the back 50s right away. Dave struck next with a front 50 on the start then front board on the end. Rob had a nice hurricane after awhile, Dave front hurricane or maybe it’s not a hurricane since he came out forward. I basically didn’t do anything except some slow front 50s, a tiny switch crook jib and then in the end got a trick I was hyped on. Switch front noseslide shove out. By “slide” I mean about 1 inch. I was still happy though. Rob added some switch front nose, front tailslides, front tail to fakie. Dave’s banger was front 50 back 180 out. So good. About the photos, I really only tried a couple times to get photos and this is what happened. I feel they are a pretty accurate summary of the spot. Ha.

We moved on into the alley behind the place. Dave and I started playing on this weird bank contraption. Rob took off. Dave was trying nollie in and making it around this weird corner without holding onto the rail. I did a no comply front shove to fakie on the lower part of it then started trying kickflip to fakie. This is when a couple dudes that used to skate came over and started talking, wanting to borrow our boards, etc. Dave and I would get our tricks. We messed around some more and one dude showed us some footage of him in the late 90s that was pretty sick. We told him to buy a board and get back on it.

Then we skated this curb that Rob found. It’s really good. I struggled. Dave and I both started with nollie front lips. Dave did a nollie back lip too, then regular front lips. I was busy working on a more technical trick like back 50. Ha. It took awhile. Then I tried to line out a kickflip off a bump in the sidewalk then a back 5-0. Got close once, but I kept missing or bailing the grind and my trucks were bumming me out. Thunders suck. No matter how good they seem on paper. I did get a log of kickflips though which felt fun. Dave was trying slappy feebles to 270 out and getting oh so close, but they were falling into boardslides before the 270. I tried some front nosegrinds too, but didn’t get close. Dave closed it with a front 50 nollie shove out. Fun spot. As much as we struggled it still felt good to street skate. Not landing much in the streets is still more rewarding than an average park session.

(setup 8.25 null monico deck, thunder 148s with super old forged baseplate, 51mm bones stf v1, 3 washers on the inside of each axle, 91a venom bushings, es swift 1.5 grey size 11.5, footprints gamechanger lite insoles)

I don’t know why driving down from Buena Vista wears me out so much, but it does. Rain was threatening and I was tired, but I went to research with no real intentions. I had assembled my smaller setup with Thunders again because I was sick of the extra effort the longer wheelbase takes to flip. I started out with a few hill rides not really doing tricks then started to noseslide the ledge. I ended up ATV’ing it more than normal there and was trying the manny pads around the area. It was awhile before I tried flip tricks, but they came quicker than they have lately when I did. I got a first try tic tac back 50 and decided I wouldn’t try again. Even though I did and couldn’t do it. The slightly narrower trucks felt weird on crooks, but I got a couple. Got into a bunch of front 50s, halfcab noseslides, tried fakie front 50. Had a nice feeling backside flip and a second try halfcab heel that convinced me on the smaller setup. I was hucking back 360 kickflips too. Not even close, but they seem doable. After awhile I set the phone up to film. I was already pretty tired at this point, but having a video to go along with the journal is kind of nice. Oh yeah, I had a bearing blow out so that was a little annoying to deal with as the back heel wheel (lock into front 50 with) would move around. I was happy when it fell off. I could have put the nut back on and tightened it, but I went home instead.

(setup 8.25 null monico deck, thunder 148s with super old forged baseplate, 50mm bones stf v1, 3 washers on the inside of each axle, 91a venom bushings, es swift 1.5 grey size 11.5, footprints gamechanger lite insoles)

Went to Broomfield park right after work on a cloudy day with rain threatening. Rob and I arrived at basically the same time and begun the warm up process. I mostly didn’t do any tricks involving ollies, but Rob did a lot of ollies out of the gate. My knee was still hurting, more than I thought it would be. There was some weirdness going on with the people skating. Some younger high school kids that had their looks down, but could hardly skate. Some 20 year olds that didn’t look like they have skated much and would almost die often. One of which was beaming like no other. He was smiling though so it kind of made it less awkward. Nick was there ripping with a friend that was popping treflips and other flip trick so high he was catching them above the black box and kickflipped into the CO bank. Will Garson also showed which is always a treat. Such a nice dude and such a ripper. The nosebonk 180s over the tip of the CO bank were incredible as were the super fast fakie manuals and kickflips popped with so much style. Sean Flaherty also showed towards the end. Didn’t see him skate too much, but the way he skates with so much speed and precision is incredible to watch. I hadn’t done much all session. I got a fakie 50 where I came out switch on the blue ledge which felt neat. Several slappy crooks on the parking block that felt great. Near the end I was doing little scratch grinds on the steep bank then trying Texas Plants on the quartapotty. I got a few where I set the board in cheater style and maybe one at the end where I jumped on a little. It was fun. The big story was how hard Rob was ripping. Long lines. B/s flips, 360 shove, back 50s, back 50 back 180, halfcab back 50, fakie nosegrind, nose manuals and almost a front nosegrind to end it. All in all a fun day even though I was in too much pain to try flippers/ollies. It always rules seeing Rob rip so hard and it’s a treat that so many of the younger skaters are fun to skate with and nice dudes.

(setup 8.38 null atomic cowboy deck, venture black icon 5.8 trucks, bones medium bushings, 51mm bones stf v1 wheels, 3 washers outside each axle, es swift 1.5 grey shoes size 11.5 with spenco thinsole orthotic insoles)

On the warmest day of the year so far I met Dave at lunch at the dog park. I felt pretty terrible to begin with which is expected, but it was worse than normal. Eventually we both started trying tricks. The cones distract from the flippers, but at the same time I think going over the cone is good for the old legs. I did a few fakie flips in a row until it was time to line them out with a switch 180 over the smaller cone and then I couldn’t do one. Argh. Dave was doing nollie front 180 then switch ollie over the smaller cone. So nuts. He would go on to nollie front 180 over it too. I managed to get over the tall one a few times, but it was a struggle. Tried to line it out with flippers, but things just weren’t working very well. I got halfcab flip, heelflip, f/s haflcab flip, b/s flip, hucked a lot, missed 360 flips, nollie tres. Dave was struggling with kickflips. I blame his bald shoes. He blames himself. We’re both probably right. Ha ha. He came close to heelflips. I was trying lines of some flip trick, front 180 over the smaller cone, rick flip. Got really close. One of them really hurt my knee though. Looks like I will be going back to orthotic insoles. My body sucks. At the end I called out a first try 3 shove and landed it (sketchy). It at least made me happy.

(setup 8.38 null atomic cowboy deck, venture black icon 5.8 trucks, bones medium bushings, 51mm bones stf v1 wheels, 3 washers outside each axle, es swift 1.5 grey shoes size 11.5 with stock insoles)